Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold, Anthony Quayle
4/5

Plot Summary:
Adapted from Maxwell Anderson's popular play, 'Anne of the Thousand Days' is yet another retelling of the tragic love story between King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, but one which casts Anne the reluctant and often unwilling object of the King's affection...
She eventually succumbs to the Henry's advances (as well as to her own developing feelings towards him) only to find that the King's love is fickle and that her fate rests in her ability to produce a male heir.

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Review:
To be honest, the first time I sat down to watch the film I didn't much care for it...In fact, I thought it was pretty awful.
The Anne Boleyn apologists are working overtime to portray her in a favourable light, making it clear that her relationship with the King was initiated and pursued by Henry alone --despite Anne's many earnest objections --thereby excusing her of most of the messiness of the English Reformation.
Overall the characters are a bit clichéd, the acting (as is typical of most historical films of this period) is overly heavy-handed and bombastic, and not surprisingly the history is suspect...

But by the end I really really liked it...and I don't know why.
The film is like watching a historical trainwreck: You can't look away!

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the sets and costumes are nice to look at, to say nothing of the lead actors themselves. Richard Burton and Geneviève Bujold have very good on-screen chemistry (even if their performances sometimes drift towards the melodramatic) and I thought Bujold was especially well suited to the role...portraying a very passionate and fiery Anne Boleyn.  I was also quite impressed with John Colicos as the unscrupulous and opportunistic Thomas Cromwell.
All in all the film is well constructed, with a compelling narrative and very few (if any) dramatic lulls.

However, I do have two major complaints, both of which occur during the final moments of the film...
While I can overlook most of the historical problems, 'Anne of the Thousand Days' is still guilty of one of my biggest 'Period-Movie Pet Peeves': Historical Clairvoyance! (acting and reacting in a way which suggests a foreknowledge of future events).

In order to justify her apparent martyrdom (as it is presented in the film), Anne gives a long and impassioned speech defying Henry and prophesying the glorious reign of Elizabeth as Queen of England...ultimately preferring to sacrifice her own life rather than let her daughter be declared a bastard.
The truth is Anne would have had absolutely no reason to believe that Elizabeth wouldn't be declared a bastard anyway (she was) or that Henry wouldn't re-marry and have a son (he did). Even at the time the chances of Elizabeth succeeding to the English throne would have seemed staggeringly slim. So this speech rather colours the end of the film and makes Anne's death seem a tad ridiculous and pointless, even in the context of the story.

Which brings me to the execution.
It boggles my mind that an execution as well documented as Anne Boleyn's should be presented in such a laughable and contrived way...with her staring down her executioner, who exclaims (in his best Pepé Le Pew French accent) "Mon Dieu, she looks at me!"
I laughed all through the credits.
(more's the pity, since until that point I was actually starting to tear up a little...)

So I guess the bottom line is that I really enjoyed watching this film...whether I enjoyed it in spite of its many problems or because of them is still up for debate.
Either way, I highly recommend it.

***

DVD Worthy: Certainly (though at the moment this film is only available in a two-pack with 'Mary Queen of Scots')
Extras: None

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Designer: Margaret Furse {Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), The Lion In Winter (1968)}
Era: England, 1523/1525-1536 C.E

Costumes: A mixed bag. Some of the costume are extremely beautiful, but very few are remotely accurate. Not surprisingly most of the leads look very good in their elaborate coats and gowns, but I was largely underwhelmed with Henry's wardrobe and didn't think he cut a very imposing figure as King.
(certainly it was nothing to the lavish costumes worn 3 years later by Keith Michell in 'Henry VIII and his Six Wives' ).
Still, I liked almost all of Anne's dresses in the French style, if only because they were very pretty and were well suited to Geneviève Bujold slender figure.
The hairstyles and hoods were more problematic...
As in most Tudor films of the 1960s, the French hoods tend to be overly large and halo-like while sitting too far back on the head (the veils, when they do appear, are almost always attached incorrectly and made of inappropriate material). Anne also wears some very anachronistic hairstyles, including one which is very reminiscent of the famous Schönbrunn portrait of Empress Sissi (1865). 

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Costumes In Detail
*Additional Screen-Captures & Production Photos*

Anne's White & Green Gown





Anne's Golden/Flax Gown





Anne's Lavender Riding Dress





Anne's Brown Gown





Anne's Blue Velvet Robe





Anne's White Masquerade Dress





Anne's Sapphire Blue Gown





Anne's Green Dress





Anne's Coronation Gown





Anne's White Gown With Black Embroidery





Anne's Grey/Taupe Gown





Anne's Brown 'Trial' Gown





Anne's Execution Gown

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